Oklahoma
by Anonymous Donor
Summary: Post war-- Duo has a father! But does he really need or want him now that he's got his own life to lead?


Oklahoma By: Billy Gilman

An original song fic by Kathryn

::Warning:: fluff with a pinch of angst

::Pairings:: 1x2

::Disclaimer:: Don't own the boys, the show, or any of the proceeds. Don't own or want to own any country song unless I got the money from it, which I don't because I don't. Me and my pals would be in paradise, not cold weather.

~*~

(The war has just ended. The boys are everywhere in the news as they get back from space)

**__**

song

//thoughts//

"Hey, boss!" a scroungy worker called as he watched the glowing screen. A short, broad shouldered, muscular man with chestnut hair pulled back in a stubby ponytail and cobalt blue eyes walked to the doorway to see what the commotion was about. "The war! It's over! We're gonna finally live in peace! Come look at the boys who did it! They can't be older that sixteen, well, that one looks about 20, but the rest are just kids! Amazing!" The man walked up behind the worker, wiping his hands off and squinting at the screen to see it more clearly. "Check out that kid! The one with the braid! He's a stitch!" The man's eyes widened as he watched the young braided pilot bounce around, grabbing the young Arabian's shoulders, singing "Battle Hymn of the Republic".[1] He spins the poor boy, who falls into one of the other pilots with ridiculous looking brown hair, who put him back on his feet. The chestnut haired boy used the Chinese boy's shoulder's as a tumbling horse to get good propulsion to tackle the tall blonde man. The man curses slightly, but chuckles as the boy hugs him and continues to sing, grabbing the Japanses boy. He started to lead the young man in a corny dance around the other pilots, still singing. The man looked away from the TV and pulled a small piece of paper from his pocket, examining it carefully.

"It is! I can't believe it!"

**__**

Suitcase packed with all his things 

"This is the life, eh, Heero?" Duo looked cautiously to the Japanese boy, basking in the sun beside him. Heero let a smile cross his lips as he shut his eyes and relaxed in the warm, Florida sunshine[2]. Duo chuckled slightly. Heero had changed a lot since the end of the war. He was still calm and quiet, but not as quiet. He and Duo had gotten an apartment in Florida by an orange orchard, so they could eat all the oranges they could steal. He sighed and lay back again, letting the warm, orange scented breeze flow over him. His perfect peace was ruined by the loud annoying ring of his cell phone. "Damn… I was just getting comfortable. If this is Quatre, I'll kill him. Moshi-moshi?"

"Konnichiwa, Duo."

"Miss Une? Jezz! I wasn't expecting a call from you. What's up?" A long silence followed Duo's sentence, as if the connection had been broken.

"…Duo… We've found a man who thinks he's your father."

"NANI?!?! What do you mean 'my father'? I was told my father was dead!" Heero sat up, looking concerned at the braided boy.

"We have evidence here that says it's true. Duo, you're still not an adult, and the laws say you have to go with him. I'm sure you'll be just fine. We might even be able to let Heero stay with you if your father wants to become his guardian, but until then, you'll be with just him. Get your things packed, I'll be by in one and a half hours to pick you up to go to the airport. Ja ne!" She hung up the phone, leaving Duo in a dead silence, looking at the phone in his hand.

"What's wrong? What's going on?" Heero asked quietly. He could see unshed tears in the big blue-violet eyes.

"I have… a father, and they're forcing me to live with him." He turned to face the deep blue-eyed boy. "They said you could come live with us, but it would probably be a little while."

"I can wait. I'll help you get some stuff ready. Don't worry, it'll all turn out okay." He wiped a tear off of Duo's face and helped him up. 

**__**

Car pulls up, the doorbell rings

"I think I've got it all. Are you sure you're okay with this, Heero? I know I'm not too thrilled." Duo sat down on the edge of his bed. "I mean, I'm happy to actually have family, but where the hell has he been all this time? I don't know, Heero. I'm not too sure about this." Heero sat down beside Duo and wrapped his arms him in a warm hug.

"Don't worry about it. Everything will be fine." Heero stood up and closed the drawstrings on Duo's army bag, but not before slipping something into the bag. He did it as inconspicuously as possible, but Duo still noticed, even though he pretended not to. He grabbed his bag and sauntered into the living room, just as the doorbell rang. He opened it to see Une, waiting for him, smiling.

"Let's go."

**__**

He didn't want to go

"I-I … don't want to leave,… but I guess I have no choice in the matter. {sigh} Let's get this over with."

**__**

He'd thought he'd found his home

//I don't wanna go through with this. I thought I had found my home, at long last. Dreams are meant to be broken, though. Damn.//

**__**

But with circumstances he can't change

Waves goodbye as they pull away

Duo stepped sadly out of the house and turns to Heero, who is waiting at the door. "Goodbye, Heero. I'll contact you as soon as possible."

"Don't worry about it. I'll be fine. We'll be together again soon. You just think about what you're about to face." With that, Heero gave Duo a quick hug and a peck on the cheek, then pushed him toward Une and the waiting car. Duo walked silently to her, head hung. He stepped into the car and rolled down the window, waving at Heero as they pull away.

**__**

From the life he's known

For the last seven months or so

//I'm starting over again. I was beginning to like that life, too. Sure, I've only come to know it because of the war, but damn it! I don't wanna leave it for a man that claims to be my dad, DNA evidence or not. I don't care!// Then Une turned to him.

**__**

She said we've found the man who looks like you

Who cried and said he never knew

About the boy in pictures that we showed him

"Know this is uncomfortable for you, but you have to accept it. He seemed like a very nice man when I talked to him."

Duo turned too, smiling sarcastically. "Oh, gee. That makes me feel so much better about going to live with an old man who says he's my dad." She glared at him and his tone of voice. "Well, what the hell am I supposed to say? 'I'm so happy! I get to leave the one person I love to go live with a complete stranger! My dream has come true!' Give me a break."

**__**

A rambler in his younger days

He knew he made a few mistakes

But he swore he would have been there

Had he known it

"I think-" She was cut off by a very pissed American teenager who was not one to be messed with.

"**I** think that I'm perfectly justified in what I'm saying. Dear, God! I mean, I'm 16 and have never once thought I had family after the people at Maxwell church until I met the other guys. You have know idea what I'm feeling like. I become famous and suddenly I have a 'dad'. Hrmf. Real convincing. Where has he been my entire life? Do you think I liked being alone every holiday, especially my birthday? I didn't think anything of it then, but now I do because I have a 'father'. Shit. I've had enough crap happen to me in my life, now I have this piled on…?" Without realizing it, tears began to fall silently. "Do you really think I'd be so messed up right now if he had been here with me? Would I have killed enough people to be deemed 'The God of Death' at 15? It's not right, dammit! It's just not right!"

**__**

Son, we think we've found your dad in 

Oklahoma

He held his head in his hands and cried. His shoulders heaved with every sob that broke through his barrier. "When I was little, I always wanted a dad, someone to do things with. No such luck. Now that I'm independent, able to do anything, I have that person to do things with. I don't fucking like it!" Une laid a comforting hand in his shoulder as he continued to cry.

"It's okay, Duo. I understand. He feels terrible about what you've gone through and wants to make it up to you. Now," she said as he calmed down and stopped crying, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand, "let's go meet your dad in Oklahoma."

**__**

A million things raced through his mind

What's his name, what's he like

//Maybe she's right. Maybe this won't be so bad. I guess I should give the guy a chance. I wonder what his name is. What's he do? What are his favorite things to do? Is he a nice person? Does he always smile? Will he hurt me? Will I be able to know who he is when I see him?//

**__**

And will he be

Anything like the man in his dreams

//Will he like me? Will he love me for who I am? Will he try to change me? Will he understand me? Will he understand about Heero? Oh, God, I hope so! …What if he doesn't?//

**__**

She could see the questions on his eyes

Une studied the boy who was usually a chatter box that you couldn't keep quiet for a nanosecond, being extremely quiet. He was chewing nervously on his bottom lip, eyes showing a twinge of fear in them. So, she decided to speak up before he ate his bottom lip.

**__**

Whispered "don't be scared my child

I will let you know what we know

"Duo," she said quietly, breaking him form his thoughts. "I can tell you about your dad, at least what I know." He nodded his consent as the car stopped. "Let's board the plane first. It's a private jet, so we won't have anyone bothering us." He nodded again. They stepped out of the car, only to find reporters there, asking every question he'd ever heard. It was hard enough to find the boarding gate in the first place, let alone having ten thousand reporters around you. One particular reporter was getting on Dou's nerves. He had the microphone shoved right into his face, right by his nose.

"Mr. Maxwell! You look as if you've been crying," the reporter said to him.

"What's it to ya?"

"Are the rumors about you and Heero Yuy true? Did he leave you for Relena Peacecraft, and is that why you were crying?" That set him off. He stopped, turned right to the reporter, took a deep breath, squared his shoulders… … … and punched the man in the face, causing him to fall with a horrid bloody nose.

"Let that be a warning to you all, man or woman!" he yelled as the reporter lie bleeding on the floor. "Never get into someone's personal lifer if you value yours, especially dealing with ex-Gundam pilots who are called Shinigami!!!" All the reporters shut up and back away. They board the plane in silence.

**__**

About the man we found, he looks like you

"Okay, I'm ready to hear what you know."

Une sat down beside him and began. "He said he saw you on TV right after the war ended. He knew it was you. You two look very much alike, or so I remember from when I talked to him."

**__**

Who cried and said he never knew

About the boy in pictures that we showed him

"We, Sally and I, showed him pictures of when you were little and progressed to you now. He was crying and asking God to forgive him for not being there for his baby." Duo's eyes began to well up with tears again. "He even had an identical baby picture that we had in our archives."

**__**

A rambler in his younger days

He knew he made a few mistakes

"He knows not being with you was wrong, but he thought you had died when your mother did. He had given up hope on ever finding his son until he saw that report on TV."

**__**

But he swore he would've been there

Had he known it

"He prayed that God would deliver you to him, so, feeling his pain, I took it upon myself to take you to him. I know his pain because I feel the same way about Marimeia. I though it would be good for both of you. He said he would have been there for you, had he known you were still alive."

**__**

You said that this was something you had wanted  


The fasten seat belt came on and they landed. When they stepped out of the car, she continued. "You said that you had wanted a father, now you do. I'm sure it will all come together." Duo smiled a real smile to her and climbed into the BMW Z8.

**__**

Son, it's time to meet your dad in

Oklahoma

"We'll be there soon. Have faith. Everything will be fine, you'll see."

**__**

One last turn he held his breath

"This is the street." Duo's breath started coming quicker, his pulse raced. He couldn't seem to keep still as they rolled up the street.

**__**

'Till they reached the fifth house on the left

"We're here. You ready, Duo?" Duo looked at her with a nervous smile. He looked at the house, a pretty white Victorian style. Just as he had imagined.

**__**

And all at once the tears came rolling in

Duo's eyes flooded with tears, but he made himself keep them in. Everything was happening so fast, it was kind of scary, but also very exciting.

**__**

And as they pulled into the drive

A man was waiting there outside

They stopped in the driveway and a man with chestnut hair held back in a stubby ponytail and cobalt blue eyes on a heart shaped face jogged out of the house and into the drive. "Dimitri Marcus… meet your son… Duo Maxwell[3]." Duo stepped out of the car and walked up to the man.

"D-Dad?" he asked shakily. The man bit his lip and nodded. As if cued, both men began to cry.

**__**

Who wiped the worry from his eyes

Dimitri stepped closer and wiped the tears from Duo's eyes with a gentle, calloused finger.

"I'm so sorry, son."

**__**

Smiled and took his hand

Duo reached over and brushed the bangs and tears from his father's eyes. He was about to pull his hand away, but it was caught be a slightly bigger one. He looked straight into the older man's eyes. The man then pulled Duo to him in a warm embrace. Duo returned the hug, crying into his father's shoulder.

**__**

And he said I'm the man who looks like you

"I-I can't believe how much you look like me! You have your mom's nose, though. Oh, God! Thank you for bringing me my boy!"

**__**

Who cried because I never knew

About the boy in pictures that they showed me

"When I saw those pictures of you, I thought it was too good to be true, but now I know… It's just a miracle from a great force above."

**__**

A rambler in my younger days

I knew I made a few mistakes

"Your mother… when she died I thought you died too. That day I thought I had died. I never wanted to see the light of day. Then I saw you on the news, and from that one picture I had of you as a toddler, I knew it was you, my baby. I wish I had looked harder for you. Maybe you wouldn't have suffered so much."

**__**

But I swear I would have been there

Had I known it

"I would've been there for you, had I known. I'm so sorry, boy!"

"It's okay, dad. We all make mistakes."

"It's not okay, and I want to do everything in my power to make it up to you." The two looked at each other seriously, when Duo remembered that Heero had slipped something is his bag. He took the duffel bag off his shoulder and opened it. On top, there sat a picture of himself and Heero. "That's it," he whispered.

"What is it, son? Anything, anything at all."

"Well… there is someone I want to be here with me, but you'd have to be the legal guardian…" He looked at his father, whose face turned up in a smile.

"Who, son? Is it a girlfriend of yours?" He grinned at the boy who started scratching his head nervously.

"Actually, dad… … … I, um… that is to say… **he** wants to be with me…" Duo looked sheepishly into his father's eyes. Dimitri looked confused for a minute, then it clicked. Duo handed him the picture. It was of Duo, arms draped around Heero's shoulders, head on one side of the Japanese boy's, both smiling in front of their apartment.

" … Oh…. So you're…." He looked to Duo and smiled. "Oh, what's it matter? Of course, son! He can live here with us. Anything else?

**__**

Never again will you ever be alone

"No, dad. That's the only thing that ever meant anything to me before. Now, I've got more than I ever imagined. I'll never feel alone again, no matter what." He hugged his dad again, and he thought of his new life in a different perspective.

**__**

Son, welcome to your home in

**_Oklahoma_**

"Welcome home, son. Welcome home."

~*~

A.N. Uuuuuhhhhhhhh…….. I feel sick… too much sweet crap… Oh, well. Hope you liked it. Comments please!

[1] Sorry to y'alls who are confederate at heart. No offense intended. The song just fit.

[2] I want it so bad…. Can't get it out of my head…

[3] Okay. I didn't realize 'till I wrote is that their initials were the same. Scary, ne? 


End file.
